Welcome Home Stranger
by starbright
Summary: [Completed] Carter returns home from Africa and see Abby again. This is a challenge from the One Can Only Hope Board


_Disclaimer: I don't own ER!!!_

_Spoilers: Season 10 – so if you haven't seen it, you might not what to read this. Author's Note: This is is a response to a challenge from the One Can Only Hope Board. You will probably see a few fics with the same name!!_

Welcome Home Stranger 

_By Starbright_

  
"So what are your plans for tonight?" Susan asked Abby, as they walked down the hall.   
  
"More studying, "Abby laughed.  
  
"I'm so happy for you. You are going to a great doctor," Susan said with a big smile on her face. "We should go out for dinner sometime when you aren't studying," she laughed.   
  
Abby didn't say anything. "Earth to Abby, are you listening to me," Susan said, as she looked up and saw who was coming towards them. It was Carter. It had been 5 months since Carter left for Africa.   
  
"Abby, are you okay?" Susan asked, concerned for her friend, as she knew that Carter had hurt her a lot, even though Abby didn't say anything to her.   
  
Abby turned around. "I'm fine," she said, as she walked up to Carter. Susan looked at Abby and Carter, and walked away.   
  
**   
Abby walked up to Carter as he was finishing talking to Kerry. "So I will see you around, Carter," Kerry said, as she walked away. "Welcome home stranger," He turned around. "Abby!"   
  
She looked up at him, and everything that she told herself she wouldn't feel when he came home, she was feeling.

"What… you're a med student now?!" he said, surprised. "When did this happen?" He was so happy that she went back to med school. He always knew that she would make an excellent doctor. But he wondered what made her want to go back? Was it because of him?   
  
She smiled. "A few months ago." Carter and Abby walked outside to the ambulance bay. "So when did you get back?" Abby asked.   
  
"Yesterday night," he said.   
  
Abby then started to remember the first time he returned back from Africa and he came to her apartment, but then she stopped. She couldn't think about it that anymore, as they were broken up now.   
  
"Are you working today?"   
  
"Yeah, I start in about an hour. I called Kerry a week ago to tell her that I was returning, and she scheduled me into the work schedule right away. So has anything new happened since I have been gone?" he asked.   
  
She smiled. It was like old times when she and Carter used to talk like this. But she couldn't get into that habit again…and get hurt again.   
  
"We have a few new people," Abby said. "Speaking of new people here, here is our new nurse Sam. Sam, this is Dr. John Carter," Abby said.   
  
"Nice to meet you, John," Sam said, as she walked away from them and into the lounge.   
  
"So you aren't a nurse anymore then," Carter laughed.   
  
"No… I still take a few shifts though. Well I have to go back to work. It was nice to see you again," Abby said.   
  
"It was great seeing you again too, Abby. Why don't we go out for coffee?" Carter asked.   
  
"I have to see. I have a lot of studying to do," she said, as she walked away from him.   
  
**   
Later that day,   
  
Abby was walking out of the ER when Susan runs up to her. "So what happened, did you talk to him?" Abby turned around. "Hi Susan. I talked to him. I said hi, and welcomed him back, but that is it."   
  
"Oh yeah," Susan said with this look on her face.   
  
"Susan, I know what you are thinking, but I am not going to get hurt again by him. I am happy that he is home, but nothing is going to happen between us. He made himself pretty clear in the letter that he sent a few months ago that we are broken up. Now I have to go home; I have to do some studying," Abby said, as she walked out of the ER.   
  
"Bye," Susan called after her.   
  
Susan walked into the lounge when she saw that Carter was sitting on the couch.   
  
"Welcome back, Carter."   
  
He looked up. "Hi."   
  
"How is your first day back at County?" she asked, as she sat down next to him.   
  
"It is okay, but weird at the same time"   
  
"Are you talking about Abby? What do you expect your ex-girlfriend to act like? Did you expect everything to be just normal between the two of you? You sent her a break up letter!" Susan said.   
  
Carter nodded. "I know. I guess I thought everything would be okay between us. I should have known it wouldn't be. I can't believe that she is back at med school. I am so happy for her. I know she can do it," he said.   
  
Susan looked at him. "Why did you break up with her if you still care for her?"   
  
"Susan, it is complicated."   
  
Susan's pager went off. "I have to get back to work. I am so happy that you are back. We all missed you," she said, as she hugged Carter and left the lounge.   
  
**   
  
Abby was sitting in the living room when the phone rang. "Hello," she said as she picked the phone.   
  
"Abby, it's me, Carter. Do you think we could meet for coffee?"   
  
"Sure." She wasn't sure if that was the right thing to do, but they were working in the same workplace, and they had to try to be friendly with each other. And she missed Carter's company.   
  
"Meet me at the coffee shop at 15th Avenue in half an hour," Carter said.   
  
"Okay," she said, as she hung up the phone.   
  
**   
Half an hour later.   
  
Abby showed up at the coffee shop, and saw Carter waiting for her. "Hi," she said shyly, as they walked into the shop.   
  
They ordered their drinks, and then sat down.   
  
"So how is med school going?" Carter asked.   
  
"It is going good. I am very tired, but it is all worth it," she said with this bright smile on her face.   
  
"I am happy for you. I didn't think when I came back that you would be in med school. So what made you want to go back? I thought you liked being a nurse."   
  
"I was a long time ago, but I haven't been happy with my job for a very long time, and so I decided to go back to med school."   
  
"Good for you. I know you are going to make a great doctor," replied Carter, smiling, as he sipped some of his coffee.   
  
"So how was Africa?" Abby asked.   
  
"It was good, but it was really strange being back at County though."   
  
"So what brought you back to Chicago?" It was the question she had wanted to know all day since she first saw him. Carter looked at her. "I realized that I was running away from my life in Chicago and I needed to come home."   
  
Abby stared at him, and then began to shake her head slowly. 'You know what? I can't do this anymore,' she told him as she grabbed her jacket and walked out of the coffee shop."   
  
Carter followed her outside. "What can't you do anymore?"   
  
Abby turned around. "I can't act like we are just friends and that nothing happened, that you didn't hurt me. I love you, John Carter, and you hurt me."   
  
Carter looked at Abby. "You love me?"   
  
"I know I didn't show it, or tell you that I love you, but I did. You should have known."   
  
"I should have known how? I returned from Africa the first time, and you ask for your keys back and gave me my stuff back. That is how you show me that you love me?" Carter shouted.   
  
"I was just angry at you, I didn't think you were going to leave for Africa," She sighed. "I'll see you at work," she said, as she started to walk away.   
  
"Abby, do you want to know the real reason I came back? I came because of you. I need to figure out my feelings for you."   
  
Abby turned around. "You sent me a letter breaking up with me. You know exactly how you feel about me."   
  
Carter grabbed a hold of her arm. "I was lost and confused in Africa. I didn't know how long I was going to be there. I might have stayed there for years, and I didn't want you to wait for me, so I broke up with you. But I never stopped thinking about you. I thought about you all the time. Abby Lockhart, I love you, but I don't know if that is enough for us anymore."   
  
Abby looked at Carter and felt all the anger she had for him slowly fade away. She walked towards him and put her arms around him, burying her head in his chest. "Where do we go from here?"  
  
"I don't know, Abby."   
  
Abby then pulled something out of her pocket and gave it to Carter. "This is a start. Here, you can have your keys back."   
  
The End 

Author's Note: I am not sure if this is good or not. But I promise Nette that I would do the next challenge on the One Can Only Hope Board!!!


End file.
